Location? Aromatic?

Los Angeles. No, it's not aromatic.

I don't know, it's beautiful whatever it is.Thought some kind of eucalyptus,but I really don't have a clue.Guess the guy was a jerk because a search of sodi tree yields absolutely nothing.

He was a complete s.o.b. He refused to give me any info about this so-called "sodi" tree. Which I'm realizing now is a completely made up name. He was very evasive and curt with me. When I asked him about care for the tree, he barked at me, "You ask alotta questions, huh?"

Nasty and miserable dude. I don't understand the attitude. All I want to know is what the name of the tree is so I can care for it if I decide I want to buy it. It's a cool tree!

Great guess.Think you nailed it.Never even heard of them before.The flowers are really beautiful too.

Thank you, aurorawa! That sounds like very likely! I've been looking at photos of Clusia all morning.

So...not to confuse things, before I checked back onto this forum, I went to another nursery early this morning (Mickey Hargitay) and showed the photo to the manager there. His guess was that it was a ficus, which surprised me.

When Googling, I came across Ficus Microcarpa Roundleaf. It's also another possibility, as it resembles this tree. It is apparently a slow growing tree, too.

What do you guys think? It could be either one. Although I am leaning towards Clusia, as that guy did say the tree came from Hawaii. Although Clusias are apparently fast growing trees, so it would make no sense for one to be priced at $250 for such a small tree.

I read that Clusia has become invasive in Hawaii and some other warm cimates where it has been grown outside of it's native range, which is Central and South America.Seems very expensive to pay $250.00 for a tree coming from a place that considers it a noxious weed.It is a really cool looking tree. I would shop around and try to find one at a much more reasonable price.Best of luck.

Yes, I agree that the price for an aggressive grower like a Clusia is obnoxious. I am going to shop around and see who else carries them online. Thanks so much for your comments and insight! :)

I compared the Ficus with the Clusia and it looks to me like the Ficus has alternate leaf arrangements, while the Clusia has opposite leaves.The awesome looking tree in your photos has opposite leaves.

Invasive plants can become very expensive when banned or prohibited by the state and no longer sold in nurseries and garden centers - yet there is still a black market.

We've been seeing these Hawaiian-grown Clusia here recently too. The plants grown for export from Hawaii must be grown up on raised benches and repeatedly treated and inspected for nematodes and other pests. This, and complex transportation details contributes to a high cost when they're sold on the mainland. Here a similar plant would sell for about $120.

Incidentally, the grower says he can produce a six foot plant in less than 18 months.

Thanks for the comment, love_the_yard. Perhaps that tree is on the list of invasive/banned trees? I've made pretty regular rounds to the small business nurseries in my area and I have never seen a tree like that for sale in the last 5 years or so.

That's a great point that shipping and transportation costs add up quickly, iochroma. Honestly, had there been more info provided when asked, that tree would have gone on my wish list as a splurge. Where are you located? It's interesting to watch certain plants gain in popularity.

Great eye at catching the leaf pattern, jaybirdyj! I kept going back and forth between photos of Ficus vs. Clusia and couldn't quite see where they differentiated!

Call me Jay.Maybe you could get a smaller Clusia online for a lot cheaper.Thats usually where I go for hard to find plants and exotics.